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What Central Texans need to know about the tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico

Posted at 10:43 AM, Sep 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-11 11:51:51-04

When it comes to the tropics, most are talking about Hurricane Florence as it approaches the eastern United States, but there’s an area in the Gulf that we have our eyes on in the First Alert Central Texas Weather Center.

A large area of disturbed weather over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico is becoming more organized, and it now has the attention of the National Hurricane Center. The NHC gives this area of convection a 60 percent chance of tropical development through the next five days. Formation over the next 48 hours is only at a 30 percent chance, and we’ll explain why.

Upper-level winds aren’t great for development at the moment, but as the system drifts northwestward, it’ll gain energy from the warm Gulf waters and upper-level winds should become more conducive for tropical development. We could have a tropical depression as early as Thursday as the disturbance moves across the western Gulf of Mexico.

While it’s too early to predict the exact track or impact this system could have, it certainly has the attention of forecasters and officials in Texas, Louisiana, and northeastern Mexico. We’ll keep you updated here, on air, and of course on our First Alert Central Texas Weather App as this system progresses.

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